Data Center Project Manager - Facility Operations

Overview

The Data Center Project Manager, Facility Operations is responsible for leading and coordinating long-term facility operations programs across multiple assigned datacenters.The role acts as a key interface between Microsoft Datacenter Operations, Lease Providers, and internal partner teams, ensuring facility activities, operational risks, financial requirements, and improvement initiatives are effectively planned, coordinated, and driven to completion.This is an individual contributor role with strong cross-functional leadership responsibilities.

The Data Center Project Manager, Facility Operations provides project and program leadership, while People Managers retain responsibility for their respective teams.

Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a CO+I DCPM, you will perform a key role in delivering the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's online services including Bing, Office 365, Xbox, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Azure platform. As a group, CO+I is focused on the personal and professional development for all employees and offers trainings and growth opportunities including Career Rotation Programs, Diversity & Inclusion trainings and events, and professional certifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 200 data centers in 32 countries and millions of servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide.

With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our data center design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

Facility & Lease Provider Management

• Act as a primary operational interface with Lease Providers across assigned datacenters.
• Coordinate Lease Provider activities, operational reviews, open actions, risks, escalations, and service performance.
• Coordinate Monthly Business Reviews with Lease Providers to support operational assurance, contractual compliance, and adherence to agreed SLAs.Drive long-term facility improvement initiatives and ensure identified actions are tracked through completion.

Budget & Financial Planning

• Prepare, manage, and forecast the operational facility budget for assigned datacenters.Identify upcoming financial requirements related to maintenance, facility improvements, projects, and operational activities.
• Coordinate PO and funding requirements and track expenditure against planned budgets.
• Partner with other managers to consolidate financial requirements for activities performed by their teams within the assigned datacenters.
• Proactively identify financial risks, unplanned costs, and future funding requirements.

Facility Projects & Operational Excellence

• Develop and manage a portfolio of long-term facility operational projects, remediation activities, infrastructure changes, and improvement programs.
• Identify recurring operational issues and translate them into structured improvement initiatives.
• Track operational actions, risks, RCA findings, project commitments, and corrective actions through completion.
• Drive continuous improvement in facility reliability, service quality, efficiency, and operational readiness.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with Site Operations, Critical Environment, IT Management, Logistics, Security, and other teams operating within the assigned datacenters.
• Coordinate resources, dependencies, and priorities with the respective People Managers without assuming line-management responsibility.
• Provide a consolidated facility-level view of planned activities, operational dependencies, priorities, and risks.
• Ensure facility projects and activities are coordinated with ongoing datacenter operations to minimize operational risk.

Health, Safety & Operational Risk

• Promote a strong health and safety culture and ensure facility-related activities are planned with safety as a core priority.
• Identify and escalate facility-related operational and safety risks and drive mitigation actions with Lease Providers and internal stakeholders.
• Support incident follow-up, RCA actions, safety findings, and corrective and preventive initiatives.
• Ensure facility projects and operational activities are coordinated in accordance with applicable safety, security, compliance, and change-management requirements.
• Serve as a key escalation point for critical operational events affecting the assigned datacenters, including availability outside normal working hours when emergency support or coordination is required.

Mobility & Site Coverage

• Manage facility operations programs across multiple assigned datacenters and maintain regular on-site presence based on operational priorities.
• Travel frequently between datacenter locations to support Lease Provider engagement, operational reviews, projects, incidents, and other site-specific activities.
• Ability to travel independently between datacenter locations is required; access to a vehicle is preferred due to the nature and location of the sites.

Required Qualifications

Previous professional experience in datacenter operations or datacenter infrastructure is required, with a good understanding of facility operations, maintenance, operational risk, and service continuity.

Experience in project coordination and stakeholder management, with the ability to work across technical teams, managers, Lease Providers, vendors, and other partners without direct people-management authority.

Experience with operational planning and financial processes, including budget planning, forecasting, purchase orders, cost tracking, and driving actions or improvement initiatives to completion.

Valid driving licence recognized for driving within Europe are required; regular travel between assigned datacenters is expected, and access to a vehicle is preferred.

Background Check Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• While not required, we also look for the following Preferred Qualifications:
• Proven experience in Critical Environment infrastructures (e.g., UPS, Generator, AHU) or working in physical IT infrastructures (e.g., Servers, SANs, Networking, Capacity, DC Rack/Enclosures, structured cabling).
• Technical College degree in Computer Science, Math, Telecommunications, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Applicable certifications: ASICS/Inventory Control, CompTIA, Microsoft, Network Certifications, PMP, ITIL, CDCP.
• Data Center Operations Management IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across Germany is € 65,000.00 - € 106,000.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here

https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/germany-corporate-pay.html

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances.

If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

Insights from previous hires

Top skills: Commercial, Budgeting, Automation, Communication, Capacity Planning, Business, Balancing, Asset Management, Assessment, Assembler

Common previous titles: Technician, Facility Manager, Critical Environment Manager, Operations Management, Senior, Technical, Factory Manager, Principal Software Engineer, Ops Manager, Leader